Claudia Sorlini

In 1965, she graduated in Biological Sciences and continued her academic career until becoming a full professor of Food Microbiology at the University of Molise. From 1993 to 2013, she taught Agricultural Microbiology at the University of Milan. She held various positions within university governance : she was Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture from 2004 to 2010, and during that tenure, she founded the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Makeni, Sierra Leone. From 2005 to 2013, she was the Rector's Delegate for International Development Cooperation. She was also a member of the Equal Opportunities Committee of the University of Milan (2007-2010) and coordinator of the Women and Science section of the GENDERS Research Center (2006-2013). Since 2013, she has taken on roles outside the University: in 2014, she was part of the Steering Committee of the EU Scientific Programme for Expo 2015 and, since 2013, of the Women for EXPO Committee (Ministry of Foreign Affairs).

She is an expert in microbial biotechnology applied to the bioremediation of contaminated sites, the production of bioenergy (methane, hydrogen, and fertilizers), and biofertilizers. Together with her team, she developed a system based on viable bacterial cells to recover ancient stone statues and frescoes; an image of these investigations graced the cover of the American Society for Microbiology Journal . She has gained specific experience in the biodegradation of xenobiotic pollutants such as plastics, pesticides, solvents, etc., and has been involved in promoting women scientists by welcoming young female students into her European scientific projects and participating, as a scientific advisor, in projects such as Stages ( Structural Transformation to Achieve Gender Equality in Science , 2012-2013), which support gender equality in science. She is the author of approximately 300 publications in international and national journals and book chapters.